System for identifying object locations

ABSTRACT

An objection location system for locating and communicating with personnel or objects within a facility. Remote badges are coupled to respective objects or personnel to be located. The badges include transmission means for transmitting identification information associated with their respective objects or personnel. Operational parameters are stored in the badges and are monitored for controlling the operation of the badges. The badge may be in the form of a wristband.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an object location system, more particularly asystem having a compact and intelligent badge or bracelet attached to anobject for determining the location of the object.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Location systems for locating objects or personnel within a facility areknown. One type of personnel location system used in hospitals involvespersonnel within the facility reporting their locations by manuallysetting switches at designated areas. The switches are monitored at acentral station and the locations of the personnel are determined by thelocations of the activated switches. Other proposed personnel or objectlocation techniques include systems which locate personnel or objects byseeking out where the object or personnel is closest to designatedmonitors. Such systems generally include a central controller connectedin a plurality of transceivers distributed at designated locationsthroughout a facility. Portable units are worn or attached to objects orpersonnel to be located. Each portable unit is assigned a uniqueidentification. To locate a personnel, the central controller causes thetransceivers to broadcast or page the portable unit by itsidentification. The broadcast or page signal is received by the portableunits but only the portable unit having a matching identification willrespond with a confirmation signal, which is received by the transceiverlocated closest to the responding portable unit. The transceiver in turnreports to the central controller that it has received a confirmationsignal. The location of the portable unit is determined by the centralcontroller by the message received from the transceiver. Locationsystems employing such location technique are described in U.S. Pat. No.4,649,385 to Aires et al. and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,805,265, 3,805,226 and3,696,384 to Lester. One problem with the systems of this type is in theportable units. They must include electronics with adequate sensitivityto receive signals broadcast from the transceivers and adequate power totransmit a reply. The portable units became bulky and cumbersome andtherefore inconvenient to be worn or attached.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,000 to Nastrom and U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,104 to Hellerpropose location reporting systems which include portable electronicunits worn or attached to objects. The portable units periodicallytransmit individually unique ID signals. A plurality of transceivers aredistributed at designated locations and the transceiver(s) within rangeof the portable unit transmissions receives the transmitted ID signals.The transceiver(s) in turn communicates the ID information to thecentral control unit. From the location of the transceiver and the ID ofthe portable unit, the central control unit is able to determine thelocation of the object. A disadvantage of this type of location systemis the large amount of energy required to periodically transmitinformation from a portable unit, causing a continual drain on the powersource. A large battery is required for usage of the portable unit forany meaningful period of time. The size of the portable unit is thendictated by the size of the battery. Further, unless the portable unitis efficiently used, frequent battery replacement and maintenance isrequired.

It can be seen that there exists a need for a location system havingportable units which are compact in size and include capability tooptimize the efficiency of operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an object location system for locating andcommunicating with personnel or objects within a facility. The systemaccording to the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprisesa plurality of badges coupled to objects, each of the badges including:wireless transmitters for transmitting signals including a uniqueidentification signal; a processor having associated memory and storedprograms, the memory having a database with stored information includinga plurality of operational parameters. The stored programs are executedby the badge processor for controlling badge operations including thecontrol of the wireless transmitter depending upon the processing of theoperational parameters. The badge is also capable of interfacing with anexternal device for data entry including the operational parameters intothe badge memory. The location system of the present invention alsoincludes a plurality of receivers disposed at spaced apart areas withinthe facility, each of the receivers is capable of receiving signalsincluding the ID signals transmitted from the wireless transmitters ofthe badges, and a processor for processing the received information. Acentral processor receives messages from the plurality of receivers andthe messages are periodically processed by the central processor fordetermining the location of each of the badges.

In another embodiment, the electronics of the badge unit is integratedin a housing which is attached to a bracelet which can be worn by aperson, such as his wrist or ankle.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the badge unit furtherincludes an infrared receiver, a voice circuit with associated speakerand microphone for facilitating voice communication, a keypad for dataentry, and a display for displaying information.

In still another embodiment of the present invention, the receivers arecoupled to a PBX, which is coupled to the central computer and aplurality of telephones throughout the facility. The badgeidentification information is reported to the PBX and/or the centralcomputer, facilitating the retrieval of location information of anyidentified personnel from any telephone connected to the PBX.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates the components of the location system according tothe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the components of the basic badge unitaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of the operation of the basic badge unitaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the components of the badge unittransmitter according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the components of the receiver unitaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 6A illustrates the bracelet embodiment according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 6B illustrates the top view of the housing for attachment to thebracelet;

FIG. 6C illustrates the top view of the housing when the housing isopened;

FIG. 6D illustrates the side view of the housing of the bracelet.

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of an alternate embodiment of thebadge unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 8A illustrates the side view of the housing of the badge unitaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 8B illustrates the top view of the housing of the badge unitaccording to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary use of the badge and bracelet units in alocation and communication system (“locator system”) in accordance tothe present invention. A plurality of receivers 11, 12 and 13 aredisposed spatially apart throughout a facility such as an office or ahospital. Each receiver receives signals transmitted by the badges andbracelets which are within the receiver's range of reception. Eachreceiver is identifiable by central computer 10. Badge 20 and bracelet22 are worn by facility personnel 31, 32 and badge 21 is shown attachedto object 30, which may be a facility equipment which may be mobile,commonly used, but in short supply. Each of the badges and braceletstransmits signals including an individually unique identification atselected intervals. The signals are received by the most proximalreceiver and the receiver in turn communicates the received informationto the central computer 10. The central computer 10 includes in itsmemory the storage of information pertaining to the physical aspects ofthe facility such as rooms, floors, the identification of each receiverand its associated location, the identification of each badge orbracelet in operation and information regrading the object or personassociated with each badge or bracelet. The central computer 10 receivesmessages from each receiver at selected intervals. Included in themessages are information last received by each of the receivers. Thecentral computer 10 processes the messages received from the receiversand substantially continually updates the location of each badge orbracelet and its associated person or object within the facility.Location identification information may be retrieved from the centralcomputer 10 by inquiring by badge identification, personnel name, and/orreceiver identification. The central computer 10 may respond with themost recently updated information or respond with a history of locationinformation from its memory. For example, a report on who visited aroom, when and for how long.

The central computer 10 further communicates with LAN (local areanetwork) 40, which in turn may be connected to a plurality of personalcomputers or workstations 41 and 42, facilitating communication with thecentral computer 10 and retrieval of updated location information fromstations connected to the LAN 40 throughout the facility. According tothe preferred embodiment, the central computer 10 may be an IBMcompatible personal computer. A LAN compatible and the IBM PC protocolis coupled to the central computer 10.

A telephone PBX (private-branch exchange) 50 couples to the plurality ofreceivers, the central computer 10, and to a plurality of telephonesthroughout the facility, e.g., telephones 51 and 52. The systemconfiguration as shown facilitates direct communication of the receiverswith the central computer 10 or the PBX 50. The receivers may alsocommunicate with the central computer 10 through the PBX 50 orcommunicate with the PBX 50 through the central computer 10. The systemas configured allows the flexibility of processing and transferring theinformation received from the receivers by the central computer 10 orshared processing and transferring responsibilities between the centralcomputer 10 and the PBX 50. For example, the PBX 50 may store theinformation such as the identity and location of each receiver. When amessage is received by the PBX 50 from a receiver, the PBX adds thereceiver identity or location information to the message and forwardsthe message to the central computer 10 for further processing andupdating. Alternatively, the functions and components of the centralcomputer 10 may be integrated within PBX 50. In such alternateembodiment, the PBX 50 performs the functions described for both centralcomputer 10 and PBX 50.

Another exemplary usage of the system is the location of personnel withthe telephones. For example, personnel 31 may locate personnel 32 bydialing the ID of personnel 32 on telephone 51. The PBX receives thecall from telephone 51 and inquires the central computer 10 as to thelocation of personnel 32. The central computer 10 retrieves the locationinformation of personnel 32 and identifies that he is at the locationassociated with receiver 13. The central computer 10 responds to the PBX50 with the location information. The PBX 50 in turn dials the telephone52, which may be equipped with a display and a speaker for announcing ordisplaying the name of personnel 32. A PBX such as the IDS 228,manufactured by Executone Information Systems, Inc., is preferred inaccordance to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows the components of the basic badge unit according to thepreferred embodiment of the present invention. The bracelet embodimentaccording to the present invention includes substantially the samecomponents shown in FIG. 2. Unless specifically described otherwise, thefollowing descriptions for the basic badge unit is equally applicable tothe bracelet unit. The basic badge unit includes a microcontroller 101for controlling the operations of the badge and a transmitter 102 fortransmitting signals to a plurality of receivers. The microcontroller101 is preferably a single integrated circuit chip which includes aprocessor and RAM and ROM memory. The ROM memory may be of theprogrammable type and stores software programs for operating the badge.These programs include: program for controlling the transmitter 102; formonitoring operational parameters; and for interfacing with externaldevices. The RAM memory includes a database for storing informationincluding the identification code of the badge and operationalparameters which are retrieved and monitored by the processor foroperating the badge unit. The database may further include informationregrading the person associated with the badge, e.g., medicine which theperson is allergic to. The database may also include informationrelating to an associated object, e.g., medical equipment and itsoperating parameters or data. The processor functions include: logicaland arithmetic operations and coordination of data transfer to and fromthe microcontroller 101. A microcontroller such as the PIC®16C5Xmanufactured by Microchip Technology, Inc. is used in the preferredembodiment of the present invention. It is apparent to one skilled inthe art that any microcontroller having equivalent performancecharacteristics and similar in size may also be used.

An edge connector 103 facilitates interfacing to the components of thebadge from an external device (not shown). The edge connector 103preferably has four connections which include a “Bidirect I/O”connection to an input/output port of the microcontroller 101 forbidirectional communication with the microcontroller 101. Data can bewritten into or read out of the microcontroller memory by the externaldevice (“the Base”) through this connection. The Base preferablyincludes processing, storage and interfacing capabilities forcommunicating with and transferring information between the Base and thebadge. A standard serial interface protocol such as RS232 may be used.An “In-Base” connection is monitored by the microcontroller 101. Anactive signal at the “In-Base” input indicates that the microcontrolleris to relinquish control to the external device. The badge according tothe present invention is powered by a battery, which preferably is madeof lithium. Other battery designs such as a NICAD (nickel cadmium)rechargeable type or solar cell may also be used. Another input of theedge connector 103 may be used to recharge the battery. The fourthconnection of the edge connector 103 is a spare input/output. The badgeincludes a light sensitive LED 108 for providing wireless means forinputting data to the microcontroller 101 by serially strobing data witha light source into the microcontroller 101.

An oscillator 107 is connected to the microcontroller 101 for providingan oscillation signal, which in turn generates a clock signal forclocking or timing purposes. In the preferred embodiment, the oscillator107 includes a resistor/capacitor combination for providing a clockwhich operates at a frequency of around 455 kilohertz. Due to variationsin the tolerances of the resistor/capacitor combination, the clock ratefor each badge unit will vary from one badge to another substantiallyaround 455 kilohertz. The microcontroller 101 includes a prescaler forproviding timing and clock signals.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, theelectronics of the badge is enclosed in a housing which is shaped andsized like an ordinary credit card. FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate the sideand top views, respectively, of the badge housing, which is shownattached to a clip. The housing as shown is around 3.8″ in length, 2.27″in width and 0.39″ in thickness. The housing includes a slot forslidingly mating with a personnel card. A card switch 105 is disposed inthe slot of the housing in the path of the personnel card such that whenthe personnel card is inserted into the housing, the card switch 105 isopened. The personnel card may be an ordinary business card or a smartcard having electronically stored information.

A select button switch 106 facilitates manual communication to themicrocontroller 101 for functions such as mode select or transmission ofa preselected message, dependant upon the number and sequence of buttonpushes. The modes of operation include: “erase memory” for erasing thecontents of the RAM memory; “turn-off transmitter” for disabling anytransmission from the badge; “card reinsertion” for turning off thebadge when the personnel card is removed until a card is reinserted; “IDcode change” for changing the ID code to a special preselected code tosignal an abnormal condition; and “disable counters” mode, whichoverrides parameter operations for turning off or disabling the badgeand maintains badge operations.

Parameter and Database Storage

The RAM memory of the microcontroller 101 includes storage of parametervalues and a database for storage of information includingidentification information. The data can be written into and read out ofthe RAM memory by the base through the edge connector 103. Data can alsobe serially strobed into the RAM memory via LED 108. The parameter datain the RAM is accessed by the microcontroller processor under thecontrol of the software programs stored in the ROM memory. Theparameters are used to safeguard against unauthorized usage of the badgeand to conserve battery power. The parameters include: rate oftransmission; maximum duration of operation; card-out duration; maximumnumber of transmissions; and the length of the ID.

The “rate of transmission” parameter is the time rate or period betweeneach transmission from the transmitter 102. This parameter value isinput to a counter and is counted down to zero until the nexttransmission. The actual rate of transmission will vary from badge tobadge even if each badge is preset with the same rate of transmissionbecause the microprocessor clock is derived from a resistor/capacitortime constant network and the microprocessor clock period willnecessarily vary along with the variations within the tolerance of theresistor/capacitor devices. With such variations, when more than onebadge is transmitting to the same receiver, the likelihood of twoconsecutive transmission bursts of information arriving at precisely thesame time as the receiver is substantially nonexistent.

The “maximum duration of operation” parameter is a preset time limitwhich is monitored by the microcontroller processor. The expiration ofthis parameter causes the badge to switch to another operating mode.This parameter allows the system administrator to limit the time ofusage of the badge dependent upon the user. This parameter is alsouseful for automatically turning off the badge after a certain time ofoperation to conserve battery power.

The “card out duration” parameter is the amount of time which ismonitored when the personnel card is removed from the badge. Theexpiration of the card out duration will cause the badge unit to turnoff or switch to another operating mode.

The “maximum number of transmissions” is a count value which isdecremented each time a badge transmits. When this value reaches zero,the badge unit will, depending on the preset mode of operation, halt alltransmissions, alert the user of the condition, and/or switch to anotherpreselect operation mode.

The “length of ID” allows the user to adjust the transmission of thelength of ID to include other pertinent information. The RAM databasestores information including the identification of the badge, which maybe a person's social security number or telephone number. Otherinformation stored in the database may include data pertinent to thewearer of the badge, such as a patient's medical status or history. Themicrocontroller 101 may retrieve any stored data and transmit it fromthe badge.

Badge Software

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, thesoftware programs of the badge are downloaded into the ROM duringinitialization from an external device such as the base. Alternatively,the programs may be preprogrammed in the ROM prior to its installationin the badge. Each badge is preassigned a classification code. The typeof programs downloaded from the base to each badge may vary according todifferent classifications. For example, doctors and nurses may havedifferent classifications than patients. Employees and visitors may alsobe classified differently. Exemplary operational programs downloadedinto the ROM include: badge/external data entry unit interface; badgeoperation; and parameter monitoring/control.

Basic Badge Operation

FIG. 3 is an illustration of an exemplary flow diagram of the operationof the basic badge unit. Each badge is initialized prior to its entryinto the locator system. At initialization, the software programs of thebadge are downloaded from the base in accordance to the badge'sclassification (step 301). In the preferred embodiment, the badge isassigned a classification which is stored in the ROM. The classificationis retrieved from the badge by the base and software programs aredownloaded from the base. Alternatively, the personnel card may be asmart card having stored information including the name orclassification of the card owner. A smart card such as theone-chip-card, manufactured by Dai Nippon Printing Company LTD, may beused. The classification information is read from the card by the basethrough the edge connector 103 prior to initialization or download ofthe software programs to the badge memory. The operational parametersare also downloaded to the RAM. The badge is given an ID code whichidentifies the wearer of the badge. The ID is entered into the centralcomputer 10 and/or the PBX 50.

After initialization, the “rate of transmission” value is retrieved,loaded into a counter and decremented to zero (step 302). Themicrocontroller processor then checks the card switch 105 for an opencondition, signaling that the personnel card has been inserted into thebadge unit (step 303). If the switch is open, the processor executes the“transmit ID” routine, which includes the steps of retrieving the IDdata from the RAM memory, adding the proper transmission signal codes,converting the data to a serial format, and forwarding the data to thetransmitter 102 for transmission (step 304). After transmission, the“maximum number of transmission” counter is decremented (step 305) andthe counter value is checked (step 306). If the counter is zero, thebadge halts further transmission (step 307). If it is not zero, thebadge returns to the timeout/transmission loop (steps 302 and 303). Ifat any time the personnel card is removed, the removal is detected afterthe rate of transmission timeout. The processor then retrieves the cardout duration value and commences to count down to zero (step 308).During the count down, transmission is halted and the card switch 105 ischecked after each decrement until the card out duration value reacheszero (step 309). If the personnel card is inserted at any time beforethe card out duration reaches zero, the badge returns to thetimeout/transmit loop (steps 302 and 303). If the card out durationreaches zero, the badge operation is stopped (step 307). The badgeenters a sleep mode (step 311). A sleep counter is decremented and theprocessor is turned off. When the counter reaches zero, the processorwakes up or is turned on. The processor checks for possible tasks and ifno task is pending, the processor restarts the sleep counter and returnsto sleep.

Transmitter

FIG. 4 illustrates the components of the transmitter 102 according tothe preferred embodiment of the present invention. The transmitter 102receives a serial data bit stream to be transmitted from themicrocontroller 101. The FM generator 401 generates a carrier signalwhich is frequency modulated by the serial data. The modulated signal isfed to an LED driver 402 for providing current driving capability toLEDs 403. According to the preferred embodiment, the to LEDs 403 emitinfrared signals. The FM infrared signal transmission technique is knownto one skilled in the art. See, for example, the descriptions of an FMinfrared transmitter/receiver in U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,619 to J. Crimmins.The disclosure of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,619 patent is incorporated byreference herein. It is also understood to one skilled in the art thatother known wireless data transmission techniques may be used, e.g. RFtransmission.

Receiver

FIG. 5 illustrates the components of a receiver such as any of receivers11, 12 or 13 according to the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention. Infrared light sensitive diodes 510 receive the infraredsignals transmitted from a transmitter 102 of a badge. Waveshaper andamplifier 520 conditions and amplifies the signals generated by thediodes 510. The Waveshaper and amplifier 520 includes a plurality ofoperational amplifiers for detecting the energy level of the receivedsignal. The operational amplifiers are connected as comparators whichare set at different thresholds. The comparators are monitored by themicroprocessor 540 for determining the energy level of the signalreceived. FM receiver 530 demodulates the data from the carrier signal.Microprocessor 540 receives the serial data from the FM receiver 530.According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, thereceiver is capable of receiving infrared transmissions from badge unitsup to a distance of 30 feet. The microprocessor 540 extracts theinformation including the badge ID from the received data. The extracteddata is reformatted and forwarded in a message to the central computer10 or the PBX 50 or both. Preferably, a 64180 microprocessor,commercially available from Motorola, Inc., is used. It is apparent toone skilled in the art that any microprocessor having equivalentperformance characteristics may also be used.

Badge to Receiver Transmission

The data format of the transmission between the badge and the receiveraccording to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is nowdescribed. Again referring to FIG. 3, when the badge operation softwareroutine reaches step 304, the processor in microcontroller 101 fetchesthe data to be transmitted from the RAM memory location recognized tohave the stored data for transmission, e.g., the badge identificationnumber. The processor adds the necessary control and signalinginformation and formats the data in eight bit bytes plus a start andstop bit. An exemplary data burst is as follows:

START / CONTROL & PARITY / ID /STOP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 START / ID/STOP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The control and parity field (e.g., bits 2 to 5 of the first byte)identifies the type of data to follow. For example, a fixed or avariable length data. A fixed length data may be known in the system as5 bytes long. If the data is variable length, the length of data to betransmitted is identified in the control field. Parity information mayalso be included in this field.

The formatted data is forwarded serially from the microcontroller 101 tothe transmitter 102 for transmission to a receiver. The datatransmission duty cycle is selectable and preassigned, i.e., both thedata transmission rate and the period between each data burst areselectable parameters and are preset during initialization. Preferably,the data is selected to transmit to the receiver at a rate of 19.2 khzand the time between each data burst (transmission period) is one tofive seconds. The transmission period may vary between milliseconds tohours.

Receiver to Central Computer Communication

The information received from the badges including the badge ID iscommunicated to the central computer 10 or PBX 50 at selected intervalsby each of the receivers connected to the location system. Depending onthe configuration of the receiver, the format of the messages to thecentral computer may be:

header/energy level/badge data received  (1)

or

header/receiver location/badge data received  (2)

Message type (1) includes an indication of the detected energy level ofthe signal received from the badge unit. This message format is usedwhen the location of each receiver is already known to either the PBX 50or the central computer 10. According to an alternate embodiment of thepresent invention in which the receiver messages are sent to the centralcomputer 10 through the PBX 50. The alternative embodiment may beconveniently configured since the PBX 50 is already wired to all thetelephones throughout the facility and has processing and databasecapabilities to communicate with the telephones. In such aconfiguration, the receivers may be connected and communicated to as ifthey are telephones. The PBX 50 is capable of identifying the locationof each receiver or telephone. In the alternate embodimentconfiguration, the PBX 50 adds the location information of the receiverfrom which a message has just been received and forwards a new datapacket to the central computer 10. The central computer 10 receivesmessages from each receiver, either directly or through the PBX 50, on asubstantially periodic basis and processes the identification andlocation information. The processed information is updated in memory andretrieved when information about a particular badge or ID is requestedby the user.

Message type (2) may be used in messages sent directly from thereceivers to the central computer 10. This message type is especiallyuseful when satellite receivers (not shown) are connected to a standardreceiver, preferably in a token ring network. Satellite receivers mayinclude lesser components than a standard receiver but is capable ofreceiving signals from badges and relaying the information to a standardreceiver for communication with the central computer 10. The satellitereceivers may be more widely and conveniently distributed throughout thefacility. The receiver connected to the satellite receiver may act asthe hub and periodically polls the satellite receivers for information.The receiver then reports all the satellite receiver information in areformatted message to the central computer 10.

External Control of the Badge

According to the preferred embodiment, the badge unit according to thepresent invention may be controlled by an external device (e.g., thebase) to transmit data from the external device. When themicrocontroller 101 detects an active signal at the “In Base” input atthe edge connector 103, the microcontroller 101 relinquishes control ofthe transmitter 102 and bypasses data input from the external device tothe transmitter 102 for FM conversion and transmission in infrared. Anydevice having a RS232 interface may input data to the badge. Forexample, a heart rate monitoring equipment may transmit heart ratemonitoring date to the central computer 10 through the badge in such away.

Bracelet Unit

As previously discussed, the electronics and software heretoforedescribed for the basic badge unit is also applicable to the braceletunit. FIG. 6A illustrates the bracelet embodiment according to thepresent invention. The bracelet may be strapped on the wrist or theankle of a personnel such as a patient or a baby in a hospital. Thebracelet includes an interlock wire 601 which forms a closed circuitwhen the bracelet is in the closed position. This circuit is monitoredby the microcontroller 101 and if the bracelet is opened, themicrocontroller 101 senses the open condition and reports such conditionto the receiver.

The electronics as shown in FIG. 2 are integrated in a housing which maybe removably attached to the bracelet. FIG. 6B illustrates the top viewof the housing. FIG. 6C is the top view of the bracelet housing with thecover opened, exposing the electronic components therein. FIG. 6D is aside view of the bracelet housing. The dimension of the housing is nolarger than 2.0″ in length, 1.25″ in width and 0.44″ in thickness. Thebracelet unit housing is preferably hermetically sealed and thereforewaterproofed. The software programs are loaded into the ROM ofmicrocontroller 101 prior to its installation in the bracelet housing.In the alternate embodiment, the bracelet unit does not mate with apersonnel card and the card switch 105 is not used. The edge connector103 is also eliminated to conserve space. Data can be read into thebracelet unit by strobing the light sensitive LED 108.

Enhanced Badge Unit

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a alternate embodiment of thebadge unit according to the present invention. This embodiment is anenhanced version of the basic badge unit as shown in FIG. 1. Theenhanced badge unit includes all the operations previously described forthe basic badge unit and further includes: an infrared receiver 701 forreceiving information; a card reader 702 for reading information storedin the smart card; a voice circuit 703 for receiving voice signals fromspeaker 704 and for translating digital signals to audio signalsreceived from microphone 705; a keypad 706 for keypad entry of data; adisplay 707 for displaying information such as data entered from thekeypad 706 or data received from the receiver 701; and a membrane switch(not shown) for special designated functions such as an emergency callor sending a selected message.

The receiver 701 includes infrared light sensitive diodes 510,waveshaper and amplifier 520 and FM receiver 530 as shown in FIG. 5 forreceiving infrared transmission. The received data is read into themicrocontroller 101 in a serial fashion. The voice circuit 703 includesPCM encoder and decoder, digital to analog converter and analog todigital converter. Voice signals input at the microphone 705 aredigitized by the analog to digital converter and encoded by the PCMencoder. The PCM data is input to microcontroller 101 for processingincluding storage in a memory or transmission via the transmitter 102.In the enhanced badge unit, a digital signal processor is used as themicrocontroller 101. The digital signal processor includes thecomponents of a microcomputer including RAM and ROM memory and iscapable of compressing the digitized data prior to the storage in itsRAM memory. Preferably, the GASM algorithm standard for convertingspeech signals into a 13 kbps digital bit stream is used. Similarly, ifvoice data is to be output to speaker 704, the data stored in the RAMmemory will be retrieved, decompressed, forwarded to voice circuit 703,which decodes the PCM data, converts the digital data to analog data,then to audio signals through speaker 704. The digital signal processormay be the ADSP-21MSP50, manufactured by Analog Devices, or any othercomparable DSPs commercially available.

In the enhanced system embodiment according to the present invention,each of the receivers 11, 12 and 13 includes an infrared transmitter,having electronics substantially as shown in FIG. 4, for transmittinginfrared signals for reception by the enhanced badge units within thereception range of the badge receiver 701. A typical usage of theenhanced system involves the location of a badge wearer andcommunication of a message by the central computer 10 or PBX 50 to thebadge wearer via the receive unit (11, 12 or 13) closest to the enhancedbadge unit. The message received by the enhanced badge may be displayedon display 707 or converted to voice by voice circuit 703 and/orannounced over speaker 704. The badge wearer can in turn reply byspeaking into the microphone 705. The voice circuit 703 digitizes theanalog signal for the microphone 705 and the microcontroller 101 addsthe necessary control information prior to transmission of the messagethrough the transmitter 102 to the receivers 11, 12 or 13, which in turntransmits to the central computer 10 or PBX 50. The badge wearer mayalso reply by entering a text message via the keypad 706.

Exemplary software program commands and specifications suitable forusage in accordance with the locator system of the present invention isattached as the appendix.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to thepreferred embodiments described above will be apparent to those skilledin the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of theinvention. These changes and modifications are intended to be covered bythe following claims.

We claim:
 1. A badge for use in an object location and informationretrieval system for locating within a facility an object coupled tosaid badge and obtaining information stored in said badge, said systemhaving a central computer, a plurality of receivers disposed at spacedapart areas within said facility, each of said receivers being capableof receiving signals from said badge and communicating signals includingthe identification of said badge to said central computer, said badgecomprising: a transmitter for transmitting signals including a uniqueidentification signal of said badge; an on/off switch; manual selectmeans for selecting one of a plurality of operating modes; amicrocontroller having a processor, associated memory and storedprograms, said memory having a database with stored informationincluding a plurality of operational parameters and a plurality ofrecords specific to said object being coupled to said badge, said storedprograms being executed by said processor for controlling badgeoperations including the control of said transmitter depending upon theprocessing of said parameters; means in said processor for accessinginformation from said database in said memory and for forwarding saidinformation to said transmitter for transmission to one of saidplurality of receivers; a receiver; display means for displayinginformation received by said receiver, transmitted by said transmitter,and stored in said memory database; an audio interface having a voicecircuit and a microphone, said voice circuit having amplification meansand digital conversion means for converting digital signals into voicesignals and for amplifying said voice signals for playing over aspeaker, said microphone having voice digitization means for digitizingvoice signals for transmitting said voice signals via said transmitterto one of said plurality of receivers; and a data interface forinterfacing with an external processing device for reading data fromsaid memory database or entering data including operational parametervalues into said memory database.
 2. A badge according to claim 1wherein said transmitter transmits infrared signals.
 3. A badgeaccording to claim 1 wherein said plurality of operational parametersinclude the period of transmission of said signals.
 4. A badge accordingto claim 1 wherein said plurality of parameters include the duration oftransmitter operation.
 5. A badge according to claim 4 wherein saidtransmitter operation duration is monitored by said microcontroller andupon the expiration of said duration, said microcontroller switches toanother mode of operation.
 6. A badge according to claim 5 wherein saidanother mode of operation include erasing the contents of said databasein said memory.
 7. A badge according to claim 5 wherein said anothermode of operation include turning off said transmitter.
 8. A badgeaccording to claim 5 wherein said another mode of operation includechanging the identification signal of said badge.
 9. A badge accordingto claim 1 further including a counter for counting the number oftransmissions transmitted from said transmitter.
 10. A badge accordingto claim 1 wherein said identification of said badge is a person'ssocial security number.
 11. A badge according to claim 1 wherein saiddatabase in said memory includes medical status information of a person.12. A badge according to claim 1 further including a rechargeablebattery and means for recharging said battery.
 13. A badge according toclaim 1 further including a housing, said housing including a slot forslidingly mating with a personnel card.
 14. A badge according to claim13 further including a switch for turning off said transmitter whenswitch is in an open position, said switch is opened upon the removal ofsaid personnel card.
 15. A badge according to claim 13 wherein saidpersonnel card includes stored data including identification data andsaid badge includes means for accessing said stored data.
 16. A badgeaccording to claim 1, wherein said receiver receives infrared signals.17. A badge according to claim 1 wherein said central computer iscoupled to an LAN for coupling to a plurality of processing units forcommunication with said central computer.
 18. A badge according to claim1 wherein said central computer is coupled to a PBX for coupling to aplurality of telephones.
 19. A badge according to claim 18 wherein thelocation information of a badge to be located within said facility isretrievable by dialing the identification of said badge to be locatedfrom any of said plurality of telephones coupled to said PBX.
 20. Abadge according to claim 1 wherein said data interface includes abidirectional connection for facilitating communication between saidexternal processing device and said microcontroller.
 21. A badgeaccording to claim 1 wherein said external processing device is akeypad.
 22. A bracelet for use in an object location tracking andinformation retrieval system for locating within a location an objectcoupled to said bracelet and obtaining information stored in saidbracelet, said system having a central computer, a plurality ofreceivers disposed at spaced apart areas within said location, each ofsaid receivers being capable of receiving signals from said bracelet andtransmitting signals including the identification of said bracelet tosaid central computer, said bracelet having a housing with electronicsintegrated therein, comprising: a transmitter for transmitting signalsincluding a unique identification signal of said bracelet; amicroprocessor having associated memory and stored programs, said memoryhaving a database storage of a plurality of records about said objectincluding the identification of said object, said stored programs beingexecuted by said microprocessor for controlling bracelet operations,said microprocessor further includes means for accessing informationfrom said database in memory and for forwarding said information to saidtransmitter for transmission to one of said plurality of receivers; areceiver; display means for displaying information received by saidreceiver, transmitted by said transmitter, and stored in said memorydatabase; an audio interface having a voice circuit and a microphone,said voice circuit having amplification means and digital conversionmeans for converting digital signals into voice signals and foramplifying said voice signals for playing over a speaker, saidmicrophone having voice digitization means for digitizing voice signalsfor transmitting said voice signals via said transmitter to one of saidplurality of receivers; and wherein said transmitter is preassigned witha duration of operation, said duration of operation is monitored by saidmicroprocessor and upon the expiration of said duration, saidmicroprocessor switches to another mode of operation.
 23. A braceletaccording to claim 22, wherein said integrated electronics is enclosedin the housing removably attached to said bracelet, said housing is lessthan 0.44 inches in thickness, 2.0 inches in length and 1.25 inches inwidth.
 24. A bracelet according to claim 23 wherein said housing iswaterproof.
 25. A bracelet according to claim 22 wherein said braceletincludes means for receiving signals from an external data entry deviceand means for storing said received signals into said memory.
 26. Abracelet according to claim 25 wherein said means for receiving signalsis capable of receiving infrared signals.
 27. A bracelet according toclaim 22, further including: means for forming a closed circuit whensaid bracelet is in a closed position; means for detecting an opencondition when said bracelet is opened; and means for indicating saidopen condition when said open condition is detected.
 28. A braceletaccording to claim 22 wherein said transmitter transmits infraredsignals.
 29. A bracelet according to claim 22 wherein said storedinformation includes a plurality of operational parameters, saidoperational parameters being used in conjunction with said storedprograms for controlling bracelet operations.
 30. A bracelet accordingto claim 22 wherein said another mode of operation includes erasing thecontents of said database in said memory.
 31. A bracelet according toclaim 22 wherein said another mode of operation includes turning offsaid transmitter.
 32. A bracelet according to claim 22 wherein saidanother mode of operation includes changing the identification signal ofsaid bracelet.
 33. A bracelet according to claim 22 further including acounter for counting the number of transmissions transmitted from saidtransmitter.
 34. A bracelet according to claim 22 wherein saididentification of said bracelet is a person's social security number.35. A bracelet according to claim 22 wherein said database in saidmemory includes medical status information of a person.
 36. A braceletaccording to claim 22 further including a rechargeable battery and meansfor recharging said battery.
 37. A bracelet according to claim 22further including a manual select button for selecting one of aplurality of operating modes of said bracelet.
 38. An object locationtracking and information retrieval system comprising: a plurality ofbadges coupled to objects to be tracked, each of said badges including:wireless transmission means for transmitting signals including a uniqueidentification signal; processor means having associated memory andstored programs, said memory having a database storage of a plurality ofrecords specific to an object coupled to said badge and a plurality ofoperational parameters, said stored programs being executed by saidprocessor means for controlling badge operations including the controlof said wireless transmission means depending upon the processing ofsaid parameters; means for interfacing with external means for readingand entering data including operational parameter values into saidmemory database; and means in said processor for accessing informationfrom said database and for forwarding said information to said wirelesstransmission means; a plurality of receivers disposed at spaced apartareas, each of said receivers including means for receiving said signalsincluding said unique identification signals and said informationaccessed from said database transmitted from said wireless transmissionmeans of said badges, and processor means for processing said receivedsignals; and central processing means for receiving messages from saidplurality of receivers, said messages including said uniqueidentification signals of said badges, and means for tracking thelocation of each of said plurality of badges each of said badges furtherincludes: an on/off switch; manual select means for selecting one of aplurality of operating modes; a receiver; display means for displayinginformation received by said receiver, transmitted by said wirelesstransmission means, and stored in said memory database; and an audiointerface having a voice circuit and a microphone, said voice circuithaving amplification means and digital conversion means for convertingdigital signals into voice signals and for amplifying said voice signalsfor playing over a speaker, said microphone having voice digitizationmeans for digitizing voice signals for transmitting said voice signalsvia said wireless transmission means to said plurality of receivers. 39.An object location tracking and information retrieval system accordingto claim 38, wherein said central processing means includes privatebranch exchange means for communicating with a plurality of telephones.40. An object location tracking and information retrieval systemaccording to claim 39, wherein said central processing means is coupledto a local area network for coupling to a plurality of processing units.41. A badge according to claim 38 wherein said plurality of recordswithin said database includes medical information.
 42. A device for usein a object location tracking and information retrieval system forlocating within a location an object coupled to the device and obtaininginformation relating to the object, comprising: a housing having meansfor coupling to the object; a transmitter disposed within the housingfor repeatedly and intermittently transmitting a first coded signalincluding a unique identification signal of the device; an on/offswitch; manual select means for selecting one of a plurality ofoperation modes; a microcontroller having a processor, a memory, and atleast one program stored in the memory, the memory including a databaseof operational parameters and records specific to the object to whichthe device is coupled, the processor controlling the execution of the atleast one program and the transmitter in response to processing of theoperational parameters, the processor being capable of accessing thedatabase to provide information to the transmitter for transmitting theinformation; a receiver disposed within the housing for receiving asecond coded signal transmitted by a central base station of the systemand having a string of data encoding information, the receiver includingmeans for indicating receipt of the second coded signal; display meansfor displaying information received by said receiver, transmitted bysaid transmitter, and stored in said memory database; and an audiointerface having a voice circuit and a microphone, said voice circuithaving amplification means and digital conversion means for convertingdigital signals into voice signals and for amplifying said voice signalsfor playing over a speaker, said microphone having voice digitizationmeans for digitizing voice signals for transmitting said voice signalsvia said transmitter to said receiver; wherein said transmitter ispreassigned with a duration of operation, said duration of operation ismonitored by said microprocessor and upon the expiration of saidduration, said microprocessor switches to another mode of operation;wherein the microcontroller analyzes the string of data to determine ifthe device is an intended recipient of the second coded signal.
 43. Adevice for use in an object location tracking and information retrievalsystem according to claim 42, further comprising a data interface portfor inputting data to the database or outputting data from the database.44. A device for use in an object location tracking and informationretrieval system according to claim 43, wherein the data to be input andoutput to and from the database includes operational parameters of thedevice and the system.
 45. A device for use in an object locationtracking and information retrieval system according to claim 42, furthercomprising a manual select switch for selecting one of a plurality ofoperating modes.
 46. A device for use in an object location tracking andinformation retrieval system according to claim 42, wherein the firstand second coded signals are infrared transmissions.
 47. A device foruse in an object location tracking and information retrieval systemaccording to claim 42, wherein the device is powered by a batterydisposed within the housing.
 48. A device for use in an object locationtracking and information retrieval system according to claim 47, whereinthe first coded signal transmitted by the transmitter includesinformation stored in the database as requested by the central basestation, including operational parameters of the device.
 49. A devicefor use in an object location tracking and information retrieval systemaccording to claim 48, wherein the operational parameters includes anindication of battery lifetime of the battery of the device.
 50. Adevice for use in an object location tracking and information retrievalsystem according to claim 42, wherein the housing is waterproof.
 51. Adevice for use in an object location tracking and information retrievalsystem for locating within a location an object coupled to the deviceand obtaining information relating to the object, comprising: a badgedevice for coupling to an object to be tracked, the badge device havinga housing; an on/off switch; manual select means for selecting one of aplurality of operating modes; a signal receiver in the housing forreceiving a first, coded signal; a processor means in the housing incommunication with the signal receiver and being responsive to thefirst, coded signal for generating a second signal; a transmitter in thehousing in communication with the processor means and being responsiveto the second signal for repeatedly and intermittently transmitting athird, coded signal, wherein said transmitter is preassigned with aduration of operation, said duration of operation is monitored by saidprocessor means and upon the expiration of said duration, said processormeans switches to another mode of operation; an external programmingdevice including means for transmitting the first, coded signal to thesignal receiver, the first, coded signal having the operationalparameters of the badge device encoded therein for storing within adatabase memory of the device; means in said processor for accessinginformation from said database memory and for forwarding saidinformation to said transmitter for transmission, wherein saidinformation includes a plurality of records specific to said objectbeing coupled to said badge device; display means for displayinginformation received by said signal receiver, transmitted by saidtransmitter, and stored in said database memory; and an audio interfacehaving a voice circuit and a microphone, said voice circuit havingamplification means and digital conversion means for converting digitalsignals into voice signals and for amplifying said voice signals forplaying over a speaker, said microphone having voice digitization meansfor digitizing voice signals for transmitting said voice signals viasaid transmitter to said signal receiver.
 52. The device of claim 51,wherein the first, coded signal further includes data pertinent to theobject to which the badge is coupled.
 53. The device of claim 51,wherein the programming device transmits the first, coded signal as aninfrared signal.
 54. The device of claim 53, wherein the programmingdevice transmits the first, coded signal via a light source, the badgedevice including a light sensitive LED for entry of data.
 55. The deviceof claim 51, wherein the device is powered by a battery in the housingof the badge.
 56. The device of claim 51, wherein the housing of thebadge device is waterproof.
 57. A method of automatically locating aperson or object in a location in response to a telephone inquiry from atelephone connected to a telephone system, comprising the steps of:continuously controlling via control signals operation of a plurality oftransmitters attached to a plurality of persons or objects to bemonitored to repeatedly and intermittently transmit signals encoded withidentification data unique to each of the plurality of persons orobjects to be monitored, each of the plurality of transmitters beingconnected to a corresponding microcontroller providing the controlsignals and having an on/off switch and a manual select means forselecting one of a plurality of operating modes; accessing informationfrom a database memory of said corresponding microcontroller andforwarding said information to one of the plurality of transmitters fortransmission, wherein said information includes a plurality of recordsspecific to said each of the plurality of objects being coupled to eachof the plurality of corresponding transmitters; preassigning each ofsaid plurality of transmitters with a duration of operation, saidduration of operation being monitored by said correspondingmicrocontroller and upon the expiration of said duration, saidcorresponding microcontroller switches to another mode of operation;tracking, based on signals received from transmitters, the locations ofthe persons or objects within at least a define area using a network ofreceivers positioned throughout the defined area; storing currentlocation data in a database; retrieving requested location data of aperson or object in response to the inquiry; providing said requestedlocation data over the telephone system to the telephone connected tothe telephone system; displaying information received by said network ofreceivers, transmitted by said plurality of transmitters, and stored insaid database; converting digital signals into voice signals andamplifying said voice signals for playing over a speaker; and digitizingsaid voice signals for transmitting said voice signals via at least onetransmitter of said plurality of transmitters to at least one receiverof said network of receivers.
 58. The method of claim 57, wherein saidstep of tracking is accomplished using an infrared signal network. 59.The method of claim 57, further comprising the steps of: selecting theidentity of a telephone according to a predetermined protocol based uponthe retrieved requested location data; and connecting the telephoneconnected to the telephone system automatically to said selectedtelephone.
 60. A system for automatically locating a person or object inresponse to a telephone inquiry by a user over a telephone system,comprising: at least one transmitter attached to a person or objectwhose movement is to be monitored at least within a defined area, saidat least one transmitter operable to repeatedly and intermittentlytransmit a signal including unique identification information associatedwith said person or object, said at least one transmitter connected to amicrocontroller having means for accessing information from at least onedatabase memory and for forwarding said information to said at least onetransmitter for transmission, said microcontroller having an on/offswitch and manual select means for selecting one of a plurality ofoperating modes; a plurality of receivers operable to receive saidtransmitted signal, each receiver of said plurality of receiverspositioned at a respective predetermined location within said definedarea; wherein said microcontroller is operable to store said receivedidentification information including a plurality of records specific tosaid object being coupled to said at least one transmitter andrespective location data of each of said receivers within the at leastone database memory and further being operable to update the locationdata stored with the at least one database memory in response to themovement of said person or object; display means for displayinginformation received by at least one of said plurality of receivers,transmitted by said at least one transmitter, and stored within said atleast one database memory; an audio interface having a voice circuit anda microphone, said voice circuit having amplification means and digitalconversion means for converting digital signals into voice signals andfor amplifying said voice signals for playing over a speaker, saidmicrophone having voice digitization means for digitizing voice signalsfor transmitting said voice signals via said at least one transmitter tosaid at least one of said plurality of receivers; and means to provide amessage over the telephone system to the user wherein the messagecontent gives the location of said person or object from a plurality oflocations in response to a determination of said updated location,wherein said at least one transmitter is preassigned with a duration ofoperation, said duration of operation is monitored by saidmicrocontroller and upon the expiration of said duration, saidmicrocontroller switches to another mode of operation.
 61. The system ofclaim 60, wherein said at least one transmitter comprises an infraredtransmitter.